Bill Weld should run for Governor of Connecticut in 2018. <\/p>\n
This may seem like an odd proposition, but it is not an unreasonable one. Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy is the second most unpopular governor in the country and hes tarred the Democratic Party in the state with his poor record, guaranteeing a Democratic defeat come 2018. The question thus becomes who the Republican candidate will be, and thats where the opportunity lies. There is something of a deficit of talent in the Connecticut GOP and Weld could very easily fill the void to produce a quick victory. <\/p>\n
Linda McMahon, President Trumps Small Business Administration head, is one possibility, but she failed in two past Senate bids in the state and Trump is likely to be unpopular in very blue Connecticut. Tom Foley, former ambassador to Ireland, could try for a third bid for Governor but after two failed bids, in 2010 and 2014, its unlikely hell get a third nod. Mark Boughton, the mayor of Danbury, has already opened an exploratory committee for 2018 but has failed to clinch the nomination in two past attempts. Erin Stewart, the self-described fiscally conservative and socially moderate mayor of New Britain, is another possibility, but she has stated skepticism of her own prospects due to a competitive field, and has alluded to the legislature being an area of greater importance to her. <\/p>\n
In a time when one of Connecticuts biggest issues is losing jobs to Massachusetts, a massively successful former Republican governor of Massachusetts would certainly stand out amongst the crowd. <\/p>\n
Why Connecticut? It isnt just a matter of low hanging fruit for a Libertarian Party victory, but the state being particular receptive to a Weld candidacy. Bill Weld isnt some foreign entity in the state; he was governor of its neighbor to the north and a gubernatorial candidate for its much larger neighbor due west. In New England, Bill Weld is a local brand. Meanwhile Connecticut is particularly receptive to a renegade candidacy third party candidate Lowell Weicker won the governorship in 1990 on his A Connecticut Party ticket and Joe Lieberman won his Senate seat in 2006 as an Independent. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile Connecticut is one of the few states in the union to have fusion laws which allow for candidates to run on multiple party lines, meaning Weld could easily run as a Libertarian and a Republican, something he might be inclined to do given that was his strategy in New York during his 2006 gubernatorial bid. Heck, given how Weicker and Lieberman both won in three-person races, its entirely possible that should Bill Weld run solely as a Libertarian, he could pull through against a very unpopular Democratic Party and a GOP that fails to put forward an effective candidate. <\/p>\n
Having an incumbent Libertarian Party governor who has been executive of two states wouldnt be a bad thing come 2020 either. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Photo: Bob Mack \/Florida Times-Union via AP <\/p>\n
Jacob Linker is a Campus Coordinator with Students For Liberty and the State Chair of Young Americans for Liberty in his state. <\/p>\n
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2018: Bill Weld For Governor - Being Libertarian - Being Libertarian<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bill Weld should run for Governor of Connecticut in 2018. Continue reading